


It's All Gone to Shit

by Midnyte12



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: Blaze Black, First chapter is just the main character growing up, Gen, Lot of deaths probably, Main character can understand Pokemon, Main character has different starter, Nuzlocke Challenge, Pokemon Black, Reincarnation, Rom hack, main character is already sick of this shit, technically an alternate universe, things are harder and different
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2019-07-15 15:52:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16066388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midnyte12/pseuds/Midnyte12
Summary: Everyone always thought Lowell Williams was a strange boy, who's eyes and mannerisms always seemed much older than his age. He's quiet, sarcastic when he does speak, and only has two friends. What they didn't know was that Lowell was born with the full knowledge of his previous life, and is already sick of everyone's shit. Before, Lowell thought there was nothing worse than having to relive teenage angst, but soon he'll find that there are things much, much worse.





	1. A Whole New World

**Author's Note:**

> Oh boy my first post. This is exciting. Well, I won't take up too much of your time. The first chapter is going to be mostly Lowell growing up and dealing with being reborn, into the Pokemon world. The actual Nuzlocke should likely start in the second chapter. For now, enjoy!  
> For now the rules are simple:  
> 1\. Can only catch the first Pokemon on each route (Dupes/species clause, shiny clause). Different cave floors and areas count as separate encounters, ect.  
> 2\. Name every Pokemon caught  
> 3\. If the Pokemon faints, it's dead.

 

 

   I stare at the white tiled ceiling in my hospital room, the beeping of my heart monitor, voices of the doctors and nurses, hell even the sobbing of my older sister by my bed side had began to slowly muffle and fade. I close my eyes, unable to keep them open anymore. I want nothing more than to reach over and take her hand, comfort her in same way, but I’m so tired. The ‘Doc said it was gonna be like this. I’d feel no pain, wouldn’t struggle to breath. I’d just get sleepier and sleepier until I eventually just…

   My sister’s sobbing hits a higher pitch that it pierces through even my near unconscious state. _Please,_ I think. _Just go. Leave me. Don’t stay and watch me die._ Unfortunately, my sister did not suddenly become a mind reader, as she just continued crying. Not that’d she’d have listened anyways.

   When I was first told I only had a few weeks to live, she had tried to put on a brave face. But, as my health deteriorated, so did her composure. Eventually she’d cry for most of the time when she’d visit. And she’d visit every day. I don’t blame her, though. Not for one bit. It’s never easy, watching someone you love slowly die.

   Everything’s… fading again. Strange, either the whole ‘life flashing before your eyes’ thing was a lie, or I’m just too tired for it. I feel myself breath out a big sigh, my last, and then I don’t feel anything at all… before a bright light blinds me, filling my head with a stinging pain. Shit, that actually hurts! I heard there was a white light at the End, but this seemed a bit-… wait, why is there a baby crying?

   “Congratulations!” a male voice exclaimed

   … I’m sorry what? Who whoa whoa. Wait a minute buddy, God, Buddha, whoever the hell is in charge here. You can’t just throw this at a chick. Not like this. I only **just** died. I need time, time to reflect, I’m not ready to go through this again. I-

   “It’s a boy!” the voice declares.

   … I’m sorry _**what!?**_

 

 

  ◓

 

 

   So after over three years, I’ve come to realize that this is my life now. No wait, so this is my _new_ life now. Apparently. Ugh. At least I know what happens after death now. But that’s not the only thing I’ve learned.

   For instance, whoever the fuck is up there doing this reincarnation thing was drunk as fuck when I kicked the bucket. Why? Well besides the fact that I very clearly remember my past life, something no one else seems to do, I’m in the wrong fucking universe. Which, I guess this experience not only proves reincarnation is real, but so does an infinity-verse theory.

   When an aunt gifted me a stuffed plush of what I now know as a ‘Teddiursa’ not too long after I was (re)born, I didn’t think much of it. Teddiursa look like teddy bears anyways, though I did really like the crescent moon that was on its forehead, and it quickly became my favorite toy (I was 23 when I died, and a girl. What can I say I loved plush toys).

   Then when I first heard the mention of Pokemon, I still didn’t think anything of it besides how weird it was for two grown adults that were my new parents to beseriously discussing a kids game. Other than that, I just focused on the puke like mush that was my baby food.

   It wasn’t until I say my first actual, breathing Pokemon, a weird chinchilla like creature that I now know of as a Minciino, that I finally realized I wasn’t in the right universe anymore. Dorothy ain’t in Kansas anymore. She was now… in Unova, apparently. An American based fictional country in the Pokemon world. She was also now a dude. Skiddadle Skidoodle, I now have a noodle.

   I’ll be honest with ya, I could never get into Pokemon as a kid. Not the games, manga or anime. My sister was, and I would sometimes watch her whenever she would play Pokemon Stadium on her Gamecube. But besides that? It was never really on my radar of interest. Needless to say, besides a few Pokemon like Pikachu and Eevee, I’m sure you can forgive me for not knowing a Pokemon until it was spelled out for me. In colorful bold letters. That were also being beaten into my head.

   So yeah. Reincarnation God was drunk. Like really drunk. Probably got sick at watching all the chaos and shit in the normal world, got hammered, and sent some poor random dead fucks to different fictional universes, and just happened to send me to the one I was _least_ interested in.

   “Say ‘Momma’,” my new mother, a tall, dark haired woman with brown eyes cooed at me, and I had to resist rolling my eyes.

   “Say ‘Dadda’,” my new father, who is also tall but taller, with red hair, freckles and gray eyes, urged. I wanted to slam my head against the table thingy on my high chair.

   I don’t know shit about babies. I had no idea when I’m supposed to learn how to talk, and understanding everything everyone says and knowing how to reply, but not being able to unless I want everyone to think there’s something wrong with me is friggen _torture_. Of course, now they think I’m a slow learner or something because I played it too safe.

   “Momma, Dadda,” I echoed to appease them, inwardly cringing at both my baby voice and their excited reactions. Super.

   I’ll be honest. This might actually have to do with the fact that, despite it being a cringey, diaper changing, baby face making hell, these three years passed by fairly quickly, so quickly that I missed the age I was supposed to learn things like talking. You know how when you were a kid, time seem to pass slower, and as you got older it seemed to speed up?

   Well, I’m sure if I had no memory of my previous life it would have gone through slowly, but I’m not just a baby. Mentally, I am now a 26 year old. And time passes just like how it would for someone in their early to mid twenties.

   “Low low,” my mother cooed to grab my attention. Oh Hell no no. At the sound of the nickname my mother has been trying for the past 6 months to get me to conform to, I took full advantage of my toddler privileges and began to have a tantrum. Screaming, crying, red in the face, the whole nine yards. Hey, I may be 26 mentally, but it’s not like I can maturely explain why I hate that name. So instead, I express my distaste in the form of having fits.

   Oh yeah, I hadn’t mentioned my new name yet, have I? I am now called Lowell O. Williams. Not too bad of a name, if it wasn’t for the fact that my initials spell the word ‘Low’, a word that also happens to be in my first name. Oh yeah. I can already tell what nickname the universe is setting up for me.

   My parents shared a concerned look at my toddler tantrum. My mother sighed and released me from the high chair. “What am I gonna do with you?” She asked, and I felt a moment of guilt for upsetting her. She picked me up and carried me to the living room, passing by a mirror hanging on the wall, allowing me to get a good look at myself. I hadn’t realized until now, maybe because I was in some form of denial, but I never really knew what my new self looked like.

 

   Many of my facial features were still hidden under baby fat, but my nose seemed to be similar to my mother’s Roman nose, if just a little pudgier because of well, baby fat. My hair was dark like hers as well, though my gray, deep set eyes and freckles came straight from my dad. Very… colorless. A stark contrast to my old self, a blonde with blue eyes and bright clear skin. Oh well, at least I don’t have to suffer any ‘dumb blonde’ jokes in this life.

 

 

◓  

 

 

   “Hi!” A perky, excited voice greeted me, and I look up. Time had passed, as it often does, and I was now a normal speaking five year old boy. A boy who carried his stuffed Teddiursa plush everywhere but that’s still normal. My parents had dropped me off at a daycare on Route 3 while they went to their respective jobs. And now, as I sat playing with my plush, a small, blonde girl with green eyes was beaming down at me. She had a lime green skirt and orange shirt with a Skitty on it.

   “Hello,” I said, noting that the girl was clutching an old looking Lillipup plush.

   “I like your Teddiursa,” she said, unperturbed by my un- enthused tone. “What’s her name?”

   “Desmond,” I replied. The girl tilted her head, her smile turning confused before she giggled.

   “That’s a funny name,” she said, plopping down next to me and crossing her legs. “I’m Bianca, and this is Lula,” she held up her Lillipup. “What’s _your_ name?”

   “Lowell,” I said. I’m such a great conversationalist, I know.

   “Do you wanna be friends?” She asked suddenly, and I blink for a second. Oh wait, that’s just how kids at this age make friends. I forgot how… simple it was. No immediate trust issues, no worrying about possible ulterior motives. We’re five, and our only motives is to make friends and play-

   “Hello,” a new voice interrupted my thoughts, and suddenly Bianca surges up, nearly tripping on her skirt, and flings herself at the newcomer.

   “Cheren!” she cheered, hugging the boy so tight I half expected him to suddenly turn into a diamond. “I made a new friend,” she releases him and motions to me, stepping aside so we could both get a good look at each other.

   As expected, Cheren was another five year old. He was a pale kid, with blue eyes behind a pair of thick child glasses, and black hair that covered his forehead in a bowl cut. In his arms, instead of a plush, was a Pokemon book. His clothes were, odd to say the least. Simple pants, white button shirt, and he had on a clip on tie. 

   Cheren eyed me for a few seconds, and I eye him right back. The expression on his face seems too damn old for a kid. I feel a twinge in my gut. Is he… like me? Cheren pushes his glasses back, making them reflect the light, and smiles.

   “It’s nice to meet you,” he said, and I immediately feel disappointment. His tone alone tells me that he’s just mimicking something he saw on TV or something from his parents. “Any friend of Bianca’s is a friend of mine,” he stiffly offered his hand, and I managed a smile and shake it.

   “Nice to meet you too,” I said. “I’m Lowell.” Bianca squealed at this, and essentially _glomped_  us, making the three of us fall over in a pile. I couldn’t help it. I started to chuckle, then giggle. Soon I was laughing loudly, joyous and childish. Even Cheren’s formal smile had split into a wide grin.

   And that, is how I met my two best friends.

 

◓

 

_[3 years later]_

 

   "I got it!" Bianca exclaimed, baseball glove in her hand as she runs backwards after the ball. I sprinted, charging to the bases, pausing by the second base when I hear Bianca yelp. She had tripped on a stick and fallen over. "Oww..." she groaned, pushing herself up and rubbing her head, tears pricking her eyes. She sniffled.

   "Low, the heck are you doing!" Jason, one of my teammates, yelled at me. One of catchers from the opposite team had picked up the ball and tossed it to the guy on the third base, preventing me from going any further. "You could have made a home run, man."

   "Sorry," I said, not really feeling sorry. "Are you okay, Bianca?" I called to her.

   "Y-yeah..." she sniffled again and pulled herself to her feet. Cheren ran over to her, fussing over her like a Mother... Torchic? Eight years and it was still hard to get used to this world's expressions.

   "Quit worrying about your _girlfriend_ and focus on the game," Jason sneered, making me flush.

   "Just step up to the plate," I huffed, glaring at him. He smirked as he picked up the baseball bat I had discarded, stepping up to home base.

   I must say, I'm pretty shocked that this many people had wanted to play baseball after school. If there's anything I noticed about this world, is that's it's absolutely _obsessed_ with Pokemon. You know all those great shows, Futurama, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural? Well then stop imagining them because  **Pokemon!** Talk shows, reality shows, cartoons, all Pokemon. Pokemon Pokemon Pokemon. It's like some cult like religion. And the crazy thing? I'm actually converting. What can I say, they're actually pretty cool. Their abilities, how they fight, how they help us and heal us. And the battles...

   In the games I watched my sister play, they were pretty boring to me, and only slightly more interesting in the anime, at least compared to what it was light to watch them in real life. There was really no words to describe it, when I first saw a gym battle. The Pokemon were strong, the trainers confidant and calculating, the moves explosive. It was amazing. So, like many kids, I was eagerly awaiting the day I would get my first Pokemon. Only two years to go. 

   Which is why I found it shocking that normal human sports were still a thing, but I guess it's one way to keep the under tens out of trouble, right?

   "Strike three, you're out!" I blinked and turned my attention back to the game. Jason yelled and slammed his bat against the ground in a bout of child frustration. I smirked.

   "What were you saying about focusing on the game?" I called to him.

   "Shut!" Jason snapped, stomping to the bench. I chuckled.

   I love being a bitch without being called a bitch.

   "Low!" my father called to us an hour later. "Cheren, Bianca, let's go."

   "Coming Dad/Mr. Williams," the three of us yelled at the same time. We ran to where we were all keeping our backpacks.

   "That was... ugghh," Cheren wheezed, picking up his plain blue backpack. He had been sprinting across the bases after managing to hit the ball on after the second strike. His face was flushed, and his hair was slick with sweat. If he had asthma he'd be a stereotypical nerd.

   Bianca, on the other hand, was bubbling. "That was fun!" she grabbed her flowery pack and started running/skipping to where my father waited by the van he had rented. 

   "Does she ever get tired?" Cheren groaned, before walking after her.

   I chuckled, grabbing my red bag and following my friends. I glanced at the field; the game seemed to be continuing without us.

   "You three have fun?" my father asked, opening the van door once we'd all arrived. Bianca enthusiastically nodded her head as she hopped in. Cheren pushed his glasses back into place and shrugged. "You look tired, Cheren." My dad noted. "Well, I hope you three worked up an appetite." All three of our heads snapped up, and my dad smiled. "I managed to get us a table in the Striaton restaurant, but we need to get there quickly for-" Cheren and I had pretty much dived into the vehicle before he finished, dragging ourselves into our seats. My father's chuckles became muffled as he closed the door and walked over to the driver's seat.

   "We're actually going to the Striaton restaurant?" Cheren babbled excitedly, his exhaustion seemingly forgotten. "Are we going to see a gym battle too? That'd be so awesome."

   "I wanna see Cilan battle," Bianca gushed, cupping with cheeks with her hands. "Oh, he's so cute-"

   "Got a crush on him?" I smirked as Bianca's face blushed and she started to babble out denials. My father laughed as he started the vehicle and began to drive out of the park's parking lot. 

   I smiled, watching my friends talk and bubble about eating at Striaton. I could feel my dad's eyes on me, but I ignored it. It's no surprise that my folks think there's... _something_ going on with me. After all, I was a pretty quiet kid. While I'm still prone to being hyper, excited and bubbly due to the constant flooding of endorphins over the slightest things thanks to being well... a child, I had a tendency to be quiet and serious. It's something that, while Cheren and Bianca have accepted it due to the high tolerance of children, had my parents worried. The doc' thinks it might be some form of autism, but he wasn't sure. After that, my parents decided that... well, since I don't seem to be having any problems and am still happy, why does it matter? So, they let it go.

   But clearly, they're still worried. Because they're parents.

   "We're here!"

   "Yayyy!" as soon as the doors were unlocked, Bianca reached into some untapped child strength as she quickly threw the van doors open, making them slam and my father flinch ("Bianca please, this is a rental," he had sighed). In her haste in trying to actually fling herself out of the van, she nearly face planted herself on the concrete below, and would have if Cheren hadn't grabbed hold of her shirt and yanked, grunting with the effort. I grabbed hold of Cheren when he was almost pulled with her, and the three of us were stuck like that for a good 20 seconds before my dad noticed and picked up Bianca, setting her down on her feet. Cheren and I let out a sigh of relief and hopped out.

   "Hello, Philip," a waiter with blue hair greeted us. He seemed fairly young, maybe in late teens, and his hairdo was... very water like. "Table for five?"

   "Just four, actually," my dad said, smiling.

   "Oh, is Sophia not coming?" the waiter said, grabbing four menus. 

   My father sighed. "Not today, Cress. She's working late, assisting Professor Juniper with a... something," he smiled sheepishly. "I could never understand any of that science stuff."

   "I can get that," Cress chuckled. He bowed to us. "Please, let me show you to your seats."

   Bianca's eyes were wide. "Your father knows one of the gym leaders?" she whispered to me.

   I nodded. "Yeah, the Striaton brothers are my cousins-"

   "What?!" Bianca and Cheren both exclaimed, making both my dad and Cress glance over at us.

   I smirked and shrugged. "Well, half cousins, ain't that right, Cress?"

   The blue haired man blinked in surprise. "Well, yes?" he seemed a bit taken back by my bit more mature frame of speech. I just shrugged again and climbed into my seat. Cress coughed. "Yes well, shall I take your drink orders?"

   "I want juice!" Bianca exclaimed, making some of the other people dinning to glare at us.

   "Certainly," Cress began scribbling, then paused. "What kind of juice?"

   " _All_ the juice," Bianca spread her arms in the air. 

   "Just get three glasses of apple juice, please," my father chuckled, shaking his head and taking his seat. Cress wrote it down. "And I'll have a glass of root beer, please."

   "Will there be a gym battle today?" Cheren asked, looking at at the arena at the end of the restaurant.

   "No, all gym battles are concluded at 3 today," Cress said, and the three of us deflated. He chuckled and finished writing our drink orders. "Alright, I'll be right back with your drinks, take your time to look at your menus." He bowed again, and then walked in the direction of what I believe is the kitchen.

   "Phooey," Bianca pouted, crossing her arms. My father reached over and ruffled her hair, and her face twisted and she tried not to smile.

   "Sorry, Bianca, maybe next time," he said, and Bianca continued to pout. "Well, open up your menus."

   I didn't even need to open up my menu. "I want a Striaton Chili burger," I declared. "And onion rings."

   "Do they have chicken nuggets?" Cheren asked, opening his menu and squinting at it, pushing his glasses back. "Or maybe... hrmm."

   "I want," Bianca bounced in her seat, "french fries."

   "Well just look at your menus and decide when Cress comes back, though I know you won't change your mind, Lowell."

   "Nope," I smirked.

   Cress came back after about ten minutes to give us our drinks and take our orders. Once he was gone, Bianca and Cheren began to chatter away about school, tests, and of course Pokemon. As always, I would smile, occasionally comment, my father asking the occasional question. And that was basically our dynamic. Most kids avoided the quiet weird one, but for some reason the three of us have stuck together like glue. It might change, they might ditch me for a more sociable friend, but for now I appreciate that these two have stuck with me.

   I take a bite of my burger and closed my eyes, relishing in the spiciness and grease. Sweet baby Jesus I love grease. I'll pay for it when it comes time to use the restroom, but right now grease is my best friend.

   "Can I try one of your onion rings?" Bianca asked me, and I opened one of my eyes. Well... third best friend. Gotta give credit to the actual buddies. I nudged my plate closer to Bianca to take a pick of one of the crunchy rings of gold. Bianca, bless her soul, took one of the smaller ones and munched. Cheren glanced over, and before he could ask, I nudge the plate over to him. I catch a glimpse of my dad's smile.

   Whatever works.

   Too soon, we leave the restaurant, my father carrying a baggy holding our left over desserts in one hand while he fished out his keys in the other. The sun was setting, and Bianca was yawning, rubbing her eyes. The air was crisp, and a cool wind makes me shiver, an indicator that winter was on the way. I was tagging along behind, happily listening to Cheren ramble on about nothing at this point, when I felt someone wrap their arm around and pull me back. A scream got caught in my throat.

   "Alright buddy, hand over your cash and any Pokemon you have," my assailant croaks, loud enough to carry to my father. At once, my father and friends turned, eyes wide, to see me being held hostage by a mugger. Bianca screamed, and my father dropped the bag and keys he was holding. Cheren's mouth opened and closed like a dead fish.

   I struggled, feeling the man's grip around my body tighten until it was painful. I cried out, and my dad took an automatic step forward. I felt something hard and sharp poke into my gut, and when I looked down, a red, sharp metal Pokemon was pressing one of it's sword like arm into my gut. 

   "Take a step closer and your child gets gutted," the mugger growled. The Pawniard pressed it's hand further to make a point. I sucked in my gut, trying to avoid its blade. My father froze. Tears began to well in Bianca's eyes as she begged the mean man to let me go. Cheren's fists clenched and he bared his teeth as he stared helplessly.

   "Please," my father said, raising his hands to try and placate the man. "You don't have to do this."

   The mugger just laughed. "Yeah, they all say that, right Pawniard?"

   "Right," the Pokemon agreed in a metallic voice, nodding. 

   "Quit delaying," the man said, tightening his grip again. He's strong, really strong. "Just hand over the cash and I won't-"

   "Incinerate, Pansear!" A voice orders, followed by a blast of fire engulfing the Pawniard. The Pokemon screamed, and the mugger jumped back, nearly dropping me.

   "Grab the boy, Pansage!" another voice calls out. Something cold and grassy wraps around my waist and tugs me out of the man's grasp. Vines. 

   "Shit!" the man cursed, reaching into his pockets, possibly to pull out a Pokeball.

   "Panpour, Acrobatics!" Before the man could do anything, a blue monkey like Pokemon kicked him from above, and he landed with an 'oomf' besides his not put out Pawniard. Shit... shit that was-

   "Low!" Bianca cried, running over once I was set down. She tripped, barreling into me and knocking us down. I didn't even react. That was-

   "Are you alright, Lowell?" My father asked, rushing to me side and pulling Bianca and I apart. "Thank Arceus," he hugged me without waiting for me to answer. I can't find it in me to hug him back. That-

   "Shit, Panpour!" Cress yelled, and I hear the sound the blades hitting flesh, followed by... oh no. I pull away from my dad in time to see Cilan and Chili's Pokemon gang up on Pawniard, but Cress's Panpour... wasn't moving. "Shit!" Cress cried, rushing over to the fallen Pokemon. "No no..."

   "M-Mr. Williams," Bianca sniffled, gripping my arm. That-

   That-

   I ....fuck.

   

 ◓

 

 

I tossed and turned in my bed. I groaned and sat up, rubbing at my eyes. Shit... I can't sleep. I squint and check the time on my alarm clock. Midnight. I swallowed, noting how dry my mouth was. Maybe a glass of water would help? I rolled out of bed, stepping over the mess in my room, mostly toys and dirty clothes, and shuffled to the door. I opened it slowly, wincing as it creaked. Friday or not, 8 year olds aren't meant to be up at this time.

   I stepped into the hallway and look around. Light was spilling out of the bottom gap of the door to my parents' room, and on a whim I tip toed over. Just to see if they were going to bed soon. The door was closed, so I pressed my ear against it. They were talking, and while a lot of it was too muffled to hear, I could pick up some words.

   "Is that- ve say about it?" the voice of my mother demanded. I frowned. Is she angry.

   "You- t. I have- stronger," my father insisted. He sounded desperate. I could hear footsteps walking from one side of the room to the other, as if someone was pacing. "Lowell could have- he-"

   "Don't," my mother interrupted. "Give him th- but please- ay."

   "I can't," my father said. This was followed by silence. I pulled away from the door. Were they arguing about what happened yesterday? I turned around and began walking to the kitchen, grabbing a step stool. Why would my mom be angry? Did she blame my father for what happened? I used the step stool to help me reach the cups that were on a higher shelf. That doesn't make sense, but then again logic tends to stop working when you're scared and upset. I fill up my cup and tip toe back to my room. I crawl back into bed, take a long drink, my parched throat thanking me immensely, and set the half drained cup on my nightstand.

   It's not like I can ask them, because that would reveal I was listening in on them at like 12:07 AM. And that sure as hell wouldn't end well. Getting grounded doesn't really sound like a good idea.

   "What do you think I should do, Des?" I asked my Teddiursa plush. Unsurprisingly, the toy Teddiursa laying beside me on the bed remained silent.

 

 

◓

 

 

"Lowell! Come down here for a second, will ya?" At the sound of my father's voice, I paused in the middle of brushing my teeth, the toothbrush dangling in my mouth. It had been a week since I overheard the tail end of my parents' argument, and the atmosphere around the house had been... tense, to say the least. Still, I didn't bring it up, for fear that either a. I might reveal that I know more than I would be letting on and they'd be able to figure out I was eavesdropping (a reasonable concern), or b. bringing up would make the problems real and it'd all just get worse from there (not so much. So, I had opted to ignore it, following Desmond's lead and remaining silent, hoping it would just go away. Not the most mature reasoning, but when you've been stuck in a child's body while being treated like a child for so long, you start thinking and acting like one.

   ...wow that's actually kinda depressing. Now that I think of it, if it wasn't for the notebooks I had under my bed, filled with drawings and information about my past life, I might have completely lost who I once was. It was already starting to get blurry...

   "Lowell?" My father called again, breaking into my thoughts. I had been standing in front of the bathroom mirror for about three minutes, blankly staring at my reflection, tooth brush still in my mouth. I quickly spat out the minty paste, rinsing then spitting again before wiping my mouth on a paper towel.

   "Coming Dad!" I called, trying to pat down my bed head. My hair had started to develop waves, not curls mind you, but wavy. Not too bad.

   I followed the smile of bacon, and found my father in the kitchen, a stack of fresh (and slightly burnt) pancakes. Dad was standing by the stove, frying some bacon in a pan. 

   "I'm no chef like your cousins, but I can make pancakes," he said, not turning. "Eat up, Low, I got something I wanna give ya."

   I eagerly snatched up a plate and started piling on some cakes of pan. "But it's not my birthday," I grabbed some syrup and started drizzling it on. My father chuckled, placing some bacon onto my plate with a spatula.

   "I know, Low. But this is important," my father grabbed a plate for himself and sat down. He didn't eat, though, simply watched me dig into to the breakfast, an... oddly sad smile on his face. "You know," he said suddenly, "I've been thinking about what happened last week." I froze in the middle of shoving a forkful of pancake in my mouth. "I... have no idea if something like that would happen again so... I registered a bodyguard Pokemon for you." I blinked, mouth opening even wider. My dad reached under the table and pulled out a Pokeball, rolling the red and white sphere across the table to me. For a few heartbeats I just stared at it. Then, with a clatter, I dropped my fork and immediately snatched the ball up. "Once you come of age, I'm sure the Pokemon would become a good partner," he continued as I brought the Pokeball to my face, staring at it. "He's name is Riley," he added. Before he could keep talking, I released the Pokemon, practically shaking with anticipation. 

   From the red beam, a blue and black, bipedal, canine like Pokemon materialized. It looked very similar to a small Anubis, almost, and I felt a memory tickle in the back of my mind. Possibly from one of the movies my sister had made me watch with her, but I could barely remember...

   "He's a Riolu," my father supplied, and without looking up I could tell he was smiling eagerly, waiting for my reaction.

   Riley the Riolu rubbed at his eyes, squinting at the light and looking around. Eventually, his eyes landed on me, and we sorta just... stared at each other. Slowly, I extended my hand, offering to shake. The Riolu took a step back, looking at my hand with an odd expression. Finally, he reached out and took it. I grinned.

   "N-nice to meet you, Riley," I stammered.

   Riley nodded and allowed a small smile. "You as well."

   "I think he said hello," my father guessed, and I choked back a laugh. Riley raised an eyebrow. I gave him a wink, making him more confused.

   I've known for awhile that being able to understand to Pokemon isn't normal. Besides the fact that it isn't how learning languages work at all, I know from what little I've seen in the anime that Pokemon don't talk. At all. I mean, they can say their own species names, and in some cases can say singular words if the word is in their name (for example, Talonflame -Duh-, and Bellosom, who can say the word 'bell' and 'awesome'). But actually understanding them, hearing English come out of their mouths when no one else can? That ain't normal. It's cool as shit but it ain't normal.

   So, naturally, I've kept it to myself once it became clear I was the only one who could hear them. I'll probably explain it to Riley once I get a moment with him alone.

   "This is so cool Dad," I looked up at my dad with a smile, then faltered. He was looking down at his hands, which were grasping each other, and his eyes were closed, as if he was mentally preparing himself to do something difficult. Riley followed my gaze and frowned in concern. "Dad..?" I started.

   "I've already talked to your school and explained the situation," he said, now avoiding my eyes. Riley let out an irritated growl, and I looked between them. "They've allowed you keep him around, so long as you only let him out of his ball during emergencies."

   "Dad..."

   "Don't worry, I already talked to your mother. It took some convincing, but since it's only two years before you start your journey anyways-"

   "Dad!" I didn't mean to yell, but this whole thing was getting on my nerves. He jumped in his seat and looked up at me, wide eyed and startled. "What's wrong?" I asked, drawing out each word. He looked away and swallowed.

   "You always were more perceptive than other kids," he picked up his fork and started poking at his pancake. "It'll serve you well when you become a trainer."

   "What's wrong," I repeated. My father sighed.

   "I guess it can't be avoided," he finally turned to look at me, eyes serious. "Low, I'm gonna be leaving for awhile." _...Wait what?_ "I just... I need to get stronger. I couldn't do anything back there, I couldn't protect my own son from a common thug, and one of Cress's Pokemon paid the price-" he slammed his fist against the table, making me yelp. He looked away again, his teeth clenched and his eyes glowing with frustration. "I was so damn useless! What sort of man am I when I can't protect his family?" He closed his eyes and placed his face into his hands. I just... stared. 

   The hell am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to say? 'Daddy don't go I'll miss you?' Yeah, that sounds about right. That's an eight year old thing to say.

   "What sort of man leaves his family," unfortunately, that wasn't what I said. My father flinched and looked up at me in surprise. Tears burned my eyes, and my hands will balled up. I looked away. "Do you think running away would make you a 'stronger man'? Because it doesn't! It just makes you a coward."

   "What are-" he started, more shocked that this is coming from an  _eight_ year old than anything else. 

   "You can just train here!" I yelled, jumping out of my chair and making it fall over. I could feel Riley's eyes boring into me. "Leave your Pokemon out or something! But no, you're just gonna run away like a startled Patrat."

   "I don't know where this is coming from," he shouted over me, "but you don't understand-"

   "I understand you're a fucking coward!" 

   "Lowell, language!" He gasped.

   "Fuck you!" I snarled, grabbing Riley's ball and pocketing it. "It's clear you've already made up your mind, so if you wanna leave so bad, then just go." I stomped to the door, not turning to see or waiting to hear his reaction. I grabbed my backpack that was waiting by the door, and through the sound of my stomping I heard the pitter patter of paws running after me. I swung the door open, and without a goodbye or closing the door, I stepped outside.

   The Riolu followed, but I ignored him as I made my way to Cheren's house. I sniffled and rubbed my eyes angrily.

   That wasn't very eight year old of me. That wasn't eight year old of me at all. But through a mixture of anger, shock, sadness and child level restraints, I snapped and completely forgot I was supposed to be a well... an eight year old. I chocked back a sob and knocked on Cheren's door, trying to rehearse what I'll say.

   Ten seconds later the door swung open, and Cheren's mom, a dark haired woman with glasses, peered out. 

   "Oh, Lowell, you're a bit ear-" she stopped when she spotted my red, tear covered face and crouched to eye level, laying a gentle hand on my shoulder, triggering more tears to spill. "What's wrong, dear?"

   I swallowed, rubbing at my eyes again and managed, "M... my Daddy's... leaving for a l- long time," my voice wavered and a sob escaped me, anger vanishing and being replaced by an overwhelming sense of loneliness and despair. 

   Cheren's mom looked at me for a second, before standing up and ushering me inside. 

 

◓

 

 

   "So he's... gone gone?" Bianca asked the me the next day, and I sighed.

   "Yeah..." I sniffled and took a sip from my juice. After school yesterday, I came home to a quiet house. My mother was sitting in the kitchen, head in her hands, and a note from Dad on the table, saying that he had decided to leave earlier than planned. Guilt had built up in my chest as my mom and I clung to each other, and came out as ugly sobs. Did I drive him out? Will he even keep in touch?

   I didn't even say goodbye.

   "I'm so sorry, Lowell," Cheren said, offering me some of his pretzels. Bianca gave me a few apple slices, and I managed a smile, finding their efforts to cheer me up by offering snacks endearing. "Do you know if he'll, you know, write?"

   "Maybe?" I shook my head and nibbled on an apple. Fuji. "Mom's a wreck. I think she was hoping he wouldn't leave."

   "Don't most everyone go on a Pokemon j.. jury when they're ten?" Bianca asked.

   "Journey," Cheren and I both corrected her simultaneously, and she flushed at her mistake. "And yeah," I said. "But his didn't turn out so well, and most of his Pokemon are gone. All he had left was a Skitty name Lady, and I think he took her with him." I shrugged. I never saw Lady very much, so her absence didn't really bother me. Not as much as my own damn father's.

   "Oh, Low, don't cry!" I blinked as Bianca wrapped her arms around me. I didn't even notice I had started crying again. In the middle of snack time at school.

   "Are you alright, Lowell?" The teacher asked, and I tried hiding my face in Bianca's shoulder. I heard Cheren try to explain to the teacher what was wrong. Damn it damn it I don't need this.

   "Why's Lowell crying?" Jason asked loudly, and I suddenly found Bianca's shoulder insufficient for hiding. "Hey Low Low, why ya cryin'?"

   "Leave him alone, Jason!" Cheren snapped.

   "Hey, I just wanna know why there's a baby here," Jason laughed. There was the sound of Cheren's seat scraping across the floor as he sprung up, followed by the sound of a tiny fist hitting someone's face. The teacher yelled at them to stop as the sound of a fight broke out, and Bianca's hug tightened. She cried out for Cheren to stop, and I tried burying my head in deeper. No no, don't get in a fight for me. I'm not worth it. 

   "I'm not worth this," I hiccuped, and I could feel Bianca's eyes turn back to me. "If I'm not worth enough for my own father to stay..."

   "Shhh..." Bianca rubbed my back. "It's okay, it's fine." Bianca continued to talk soothingly to me as the teacher began to separate Cheren and Jason. Bianca reminded me of a mother trying to soothe a child, more specifically her mother, as she tended to cry a bit more than the average eight year old. So she's probably mimicking what works for her. And, honestly it was working for me too. My breathing slowed and my body relaxed. Tears still flowed, but slower. I looked up, noting that both Cheren and Jason were no longer in the room. The teacher reminded us that there was only ten minutes left of snack time and walked back to her desk. I wiped my eyes and smiled thankfully at Bianca.

   "Thanks, Bianca," I said, squirming out of her hug. She released me and smiled back.

   "Anytime, Low," she said. Her smile faltered for a second, and she looked down at her snacks, poking at them. "Um... Lowell?"

   "Hmm?"

   "I know you already have your Pokemon... and Riley's real cool and all, and you turn ten two months before Cheren and I..."

   Ah. I see where this is going. "I won't leave you two behind," I smiled, nudging her with my shoulder. Bianca perked up and her smile brightened.

   "Really!? I- I mean I know you'd want to go immediately, but it'd be so cool if we started at the same time, right? We could take our first step as real trainers together, bu-but I'd understand if you'd want to get a head start, two months isn't that long and all-"

   "Bianca," I interrupted, and her rambling stopped. "Two months isn't that long, I can wait," I stole one of apples and munched. Bianca huffed.

   "I already gave you some!" she whined, but she was still smiling. "Th-thanks though."

   "Good thing you and Cheren share a birthday," I added, and she stuck her tongue out. 

   It was pure luck that the two shared the same birth. Cheren was born a few days late, and Bianca was born two weeks and a few days early, a fact that I had overheard when my mother had asked Cheren and Bianca's parents about it. While Cheren's folks were pretty chill, Bianca's father was more overprotective of the girl because of it. Bianca was, what I believe is called a, 'rainbow baby', another term I had overheard. I never noticed how many times adults talk about adult things around kids, thinking we weren't paying attention. After hearing that, and spending about 20 minutes trying to remember what 'rainbow baby' meant, Mr. Warner's (Bianca's dad) overprotective behavior of his daughter made sense.

   But I'm rambling. Either way, waiting for Cheren and Bianca should be that bad. After all, I've gone through eight plus years fairly quickly.

   How bad could waiting an extra two months be?

 

 

◓

 

 

"Utter bullshit!"

   "Lowell Oliver!" I flinched, not only at my mother's tone, but because when a parent, scratch that when a mom calls you by more than just your first name, you know you fucked up. Thankfully, as Bianca and Cheren were with me, my ten year old ass wasn't going to get a lecture... until they leave, anyways. 

   "Are you sure, Mrs. Williams?" Cheren asked. My mom turned her eyes to him and sighed, nodding.

   "Yes, it the law passed just yesterday," she said mournfully. "The legal age to become a trainer has been increased to sixteen, instead of ten. Anyone who was registered before this were grandfathered in-"

   "Grandfathered? What do grandparents have to do with it?" Bianca interrupted. 

   "No, Bianca, it basically means that the old rule still applies to ten year olds already registered, but the new rule applies to everyone else," my mother explained.

   "I can't believe this," I grumbled, scowling at the floor. Two months, I thought I only had to wait two friggen months. Now those two months have turned into  _six years._ I mean, yeah I know it's nothing compared to relieving ten years of my life, but come on! This is bullshit, all because some stupid kid went and got all his Pokemon... Riley nudged me and I looked up. 

   For two years I've had this Riolu. After my father left to 'redo his journey', for weeks I had rarely let him out of his ball. I didn't want to see him. He was a gift from  _him_ , something that probably made him feel better about leaving us. I didn't want anything to do with him.

   "You know it is not my fault," the Riolu had said one day, after I let him out to eat. I looked up, surprised, and he shrugged. "I figured out you could understand me fairly quickly. I am sorry about your father."

   "You don't know anything," I had snapped, pushing his bowl of Pokemon food at him with more force than I meant. "He thought leaving you here would make leaving us alright."

   "He left me here to protect you," the Riolu said. He stepped closer to me, and I pulled back. "You are... much older than you look, aren't you?" My body had froze and my gut tightened. 

   We... talked after that. I stopped blaming Riley, and ever since then I've... I finally had someone that knew me. I showed Riley my notebooks and drawings, which have gotten pretty good over the years thank you, and told him about the 'normal' world, the world where there was no Pokemon. Honestly, the fact that he's a Riolu is the only reason he believed me. He could read my emotions, so he could tell I wasn't lying, and that I wasn't crazy. And the fact that I had someone, even a Pokemon... no, my partner, that he believed me... it meant the world to me. And because of that, we had bonded quickly.

   So, back to the problem at hand.

   "So... Low could have been a trainer if he hadn't waited?" Bianca asked, fidgeting with her hands. Oh no you don't.

   "Bianca," I nudged her. "I chose not to be a trainer by the time I turned ten, because I didn't want to leave you guys behind for two months, and that wasn't even a long time. No way would I leave you waiting for six years."

   "Y-yeah but-"

   "We're in this together!" Cheren said, fist pumping, "I completely agree with you, Low."

   "A-alright," Bianca smiled shyly.

   "Sixteen sounds like a much better age to go off on your own, anyways," Riley said. I nodded and repeated what he said.

   "You have a point," Cheren noted.

   "Yes," mom nodded. "I'm still sorry, I know this isn't something you two would want to hear on your birthdays," she said to Cheren and Bianca. "But Professor Juniper only just told me this morning."

   "We can still have fun," I said, picking up one of Cheren and Bianca's presents. It was a Pokemon battle simulator that my mom had got for Cheren. Why don't we play some games?"

   "Actually, Papa wanted me to head home early, for some reason," Bianca said, getting up and grabbing her bag full toys and games. She hugged me and Cheren. "Thank you for the gifts, and thank you for the cake, Mrs. Williams."

   "No problem, sweetie," my mom smiled.

   "Bye Bianca," Cheren and I said at the same time. She waved, and left. I sighed.

   "So... that game?" Cheren asked, and I smiled again. 

   "Yeah, let's play," I got up and ran over to the console. Six more years.

   Let's hope it doesn't get another extension.


	2. And so it Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lowell, Bianca and Cheren finally become trainers and really start the story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, here you go! ^^;

* * *

 

_Lowell, Age nine:_

 

"Lowell! You're stirring in the dry ingredients too fast, it's getting everywhere."

   "Sorry, Mommy," I replied, slowing down my whisking.

   My mother smiled and rolled her eyes, getting a wet paper towel and wiping up the flour, baking soda, sugar and baking powder that flew out of the mixing bowl and onto the counter. "And don't mix it too much, or the cookie dough will become too tough."

   "Okay," I said, getting on my tiptoes to peer into the bowl. Even on a step stool I was a little too short. "I think it looks mixed." Mom threw the white powder covered paper towel away and looked into the bowl.

   "Oh yeah, that looks perfect, dear," she picked up a teaspoon measuring thing and scooped it into the dough. "Now we just need to roll it up into balls."

   Figuring it's what a child would do, I got on my tiptoes again and reached into the bowl, scooping out a small amount of dough and rolling it in my palm. My mother giggled.

   "Well, I suppose they don't need to be exact," she said, patting my head. After 3 balls of sugar cookie dough, the phone rang in the livingroom. "Oh, darn. I'll be right back sweetie," she grabbed a paper towel and began wiping dough off her hands as she left the kitchen.

   "Do you wanna help, Riley?" I turned my head to the silent Riolu, who had been sitting on one of the chairs.

   Riley shook his head and raised his paws. "Fur," was all he said. I nodded after a pause and turned back to focusing on rolling up little balls and placing them on the cookie sheet.

   "Is that all you have to say!?" My mother's angry, exasperated voice carried into the kitchen, and I flinched, nearly dropping the partially rolled piece of dough. "Just come home!" She yelled after a short pause. Riley and I shared a look, and I quickly looked away. I had stopped rolling. My eyes burned as I tried desperately to fight off tears.

   A kitchen chair scrapped on the floor, and a minute later Riley was beside me, having pushed the chair up to the counter so he could stand on it. On his paws were a pair of rubber gloves, two of the five fingers dangling uselessly, and even the three that were occupied weren't even filled all the way. A snort escaped me, and Riley rolled his eyes.

   "Let's try and finish these," Riley said, fumbling with the teaspoon. I snorted again and chuckled, wiping at my eyes with my sleeve before going back to rolling balls of dough.

   A few wound up on the floor, and some were oddly shaped, but once mom came back (her eyes red and a strained smile on her face) and they finished baking, they tasted just as good.

 

◓

 

"How long does it take a girl to use the bathroom?"

   "They have more steps than us, Cheren."

   My four eyed friend grunted and ran a hand through his new hairdo. His mother took him a proper hair stylist yesterday as an early birthday gift, and thank the Gods of the multiverse! There's a point in time in a child's life, where a bowl cut just doesn't look good. Usually, that's when the child is born. I get that some parents don't want to spend the extra money by paying someone to cut their kid's hair, but come on. At least learn something other than a bowl cut.

   Cheren's new hairdo was fairly simple. After letting his hair grow out for awhile, he had got the sides cut at an angle, with locks that reach his chin framing his face, and getting shorter as it approached the back of his head. While he still had bangs, they didn't cover his forehead like they did before. A stray lock of black hair was constantly sticking up on the top of his head, and I couldn't figure out how or why.

   Either way, it was better than the bowl cut.

   Behind us, we heard the sound of feet pounding up the stairs, down the hallway toward my room, and a few seconds later Bianca burst through the door. "Sorry!" she gasped, then cried out as she tripped on her dress and nearly face planted on the wooden floor. Riley used Quick Attack's speed to grab her before she made contact. "Thanks, Riley," she chuckled nervously as she got up. 

   "Really, Bianca?" Cheren chided. "I've known you since we were five, and if I had a nickle for every time you've fallen over because of a skirt or dress..."

   "Guys," I cut in. "We've got more pressing matters to attend to," I tapped the big wrapped box we received from Juniper. As one, the two sprung on their last birthday gift, tearing the wrappings apart, reminding me of wild animals. Wrappings off, and box now open, the two oggling at the contents within. I peeked over to take a look.

   In the box, there were two red and white Pokeballs, one bearing a leaf symbol, and another bearing a water symbol. The box also contained three more wrapped up packages.

   "Ohh! These must be our supplies," Bianca said, picking up a package and tearing at the packages. Inside were more Pokeballs, a Pokedex, and a trainer card. "Oh... this one is yours, Cheren."

   "Thanks," he said, pocketing the trainer card. As Bianca started unwrapping another package, Cheren picked up the two Pokeballs. "Hmm... Bianca, which one do-"

   "Dibs on the grass type!" Bianca yelled, snatching the mentioned Pokeball out of Cheren's hands. Cheren chuckled and clipped the water type's Pokeball to his belt.

   "I wanted the water type anyways. Low, I think this is yours," he picked up the last remaining package, handing it to me. I grinned as I started to tear at the packaging, sitting down on my bed. Riley, who was sitting cross legged on the mattress, got up and climbed on my shoulder to look. I held out my trainer card and stared at it, a freckled, dark haired teenager staring back. 

   I've owned this face for over 16 years old now, and sometimes it was still hard to register that was me. I don't know if it was because of all the notes and drawings I keep, but I still have dreams of my old life, seeing my own face in a mirror. I would wake up confused, wondering where I was and why my body felt so weird. I started keeping Riley out whenever I would sleep, the small blue Pokemon grounding me to reality.

   "Low?" Riley spoke, and I blinked and looked to him. There was a worried frown on his face, his paws gripping my arm. I smiled and pet him. He yapped and swatted at my hand.

   "Hey Low," I looked back up at my friends. Bianca was grinning as she adjusted her hat. She pointed dramatically and declared, "I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!"

   I was taken aback, but grinned back as I stood up. "You sure? I've had Riley here for eight years now."

   "Yeah well you weren't a trainer then, so he's like the same level as my Pokemon," she took the grass type Pokeball and tossed it. The sphere opened and a red beam was released, a somewhat bipedal snake like Pokemon with a leaf at the end of its tail materializing from it. A Snivy. "My uh... Snippy against your Riley!"

   "Sni- oh dear Arceus- okay," the Snivy cringed and groaned, getting into a battle stance anyways. I snorted and covered my mouth to hide it.

   "Uh, Bianca? You sure you want to have a battle in Low's bedroom? Doesn't that seem dangerous?" Cheren cautioned.

   "Don't such a worry wart," Bianca dismissed with a wave of her hand. "They're both a low level, we won't make a mess."

   "Bianca-" Cheren started.

   "Now! Tackle the Riolu, Snippy!" Bianca ordered, interrupting Cheren. Still cringing at the name, the Snivy leaped, using his tail to launch himself straight at Riley, who was still on my bed. Riley had just enough to stand before Snippy crashed into him. Riley fell back, and the two bounced on the bed until they were able to stand. "Yeah! Tackle again Snip!" Bianca cheered enthusiastically.

   "Bianca I really don't think-" Cheren began.

   "Quick attack!" I ordered Riley. Riley blurred as he dodged Snippy's attack, then rammed into the Snivy, sending him crashing into my lamp. 

   "Guys!" Cheren yelled as Bianca and I began yelling orders back and forth, the battle continuing. The Snivy hissed and leapt from the night stand, Tackling Riley off the bed. Riley growled and grabbed one of the books I had on the ground, smacking Snippy off before hitting him again with a quick attack. Bianca cried foul, ordering Snippy to use Leer. Despite being beat up, Snippy gave Riley a nasty smirk, his eyes flashing.

   "Quick attack again!" I called. Riley charged and rammed into Snippy, once again sending him flying. The Snivy crashed into my bookcase, and as he began to pick himself up, a couple of books toppled onto his head. Bianca gasped as Snippy teetered, then fell over.

   "Oh no!" She ran over, picking up the fainted Pokemon. "Oh, thank Arceus, he's okay."

   I whooped and laughed. Bianca made a face as she stood, but a smile was sneaking onto her lips.

   "Guys... look around," Cheren groaned, and I blinked, looking around my room. Oh- ohhh. Shit.

   Lamp shards and books were scattered on the floor. My bed was a mess, and I don't know why the Snivy's feet were dirty, but I could see its foot prints all over the floor and my bedsheets.

   "What is all this noise?!" My mother yelled, followed by her hurried footsteps as she made her way up the stairs.  _Oh shit oh fuck-_

   The door to my room swung open, revealing my mother. Her dark brown hair was marred with a few gray strands, and her brown eyes were lined with crows feet. Other than that, she hadn't aged too much over the past eight years.

   She starred at the scene before her, eyes roaming from the broken lamp, the floor, my bed sheets, Bianca, who was still holding the unconscious Snippy, and finally landing on me, wearing the most guilty expression on my freckled face. She sighed. "Why me?" She groaned despairingly. 

   At the same time, Darwin, Mom's Eevee (a gift from dad) peeked into the room to see what was going on. His eyes settled on me, and he smirked.

   "Oooohh you're in trouble," he taunted. Riley glared at him for me.

   "U-um... sorry about the mess Mrs. Williams," Bianca managed, bowing her head in embarrassment. "Cheren and I can help Lowell clean up."

   "Wait, I didn't do any-" Cheren began.

   "It's quite alright," Mom smiled. "You three have an appointment with Prof. Juniper. Besides, I should have known you three would be so eager to battle. After all, you had to wait so long to become trainers."

   "Darn, not in trouble," Darwin mock groaned. I quickly stuck my tongue at him, putting it back just in time as Mom looked back at me.

   "Lowell, I'm sure you know where your bike is, you three better hurry. You're gonna be late."

   "Oh shoot!" Bianca gasped. "I forgot, I gotta stop at home first. I'll meet you guys there." She returned Snippy to his ball and rushed out.

   "You might wanna go after her," Cheren sighed as we started to walk, removing his glasses and rubbing at his eyes. "Great Dragons above know how long she'll take if left on her own."

   "Have more faith, Cheren," I chuckled, taking the stairs two at a time. "But alright. Meet ya at the lab, and hey," I added with a smirk, opening the front door. "Don't forget, you owe me a rival battle."

   Cheren smirked too, putting his glasses back on. "Deal. See you at the lab."

   "See ya there," we picked up our bikes, Cheren taking off first, pedalling North to the lab. Riley climbed onto my shoulder as I got on.

   "Don't forget to stop back here before you go," Mom called from the doorway, a hint of sadness in her voice.

   "I will!" I called back, kicking off and pedaling. "See you soon, Mom."

   Bianca's house was in the exact opposite of Juniper's lab, and I kept getting stopped by neighbors, people I've known for 16 years, wishing me luck, telling me to remember them when I make Champion, saying that I'm always welcome back in this little town.

   Living in a small town has been vastly different to living in a city in my previous life. In the city, people were grumpy, always in a rush, always in their own little world where you were barely a blip on their radar. In a small town, well, it's everyone's little world. People somehow seem friendlier, almost everyone knows your name, but at the same time they almost always know your business.

   Which isn't too bad, you just gotta be careful not to make too much noise for everyone to hear.

   "No no a thousand times  _NO_!" Case 'n point.

   I slowed down and kicked out my kickstand by Bianca's place, flinching at her father's harsh tone. Harsh, angry... and terrified.

   "How could you still want to be a trainer after what happened in Striaton? The world is too dangerous!"

   "That was _eight_ years ago!" Bianca's voice yelled back as I approached the door. "And I have my own Pokemon and license had a battle and, and  _you can't stop me!"_ I could hear the sound of running feet approaching as I raised my hand to knock, and the door swung open. 

   Bianca blinked at me in surprise, releasing the tears she had been holding back in the process. I didn't say anything, as I could hear the familiar stomping of her father. I grabbed Bianca's arm and pulled her out, slamming the door shut.

   "Lowell Williams you get back hear with my daughter!" I could her father shout as I ushered Bianca to our bikes, followed the muffled sound of her mother trying to calm him down.

   Bianca hiccuped as I ushered her to her bike before hopping on my own. I looked towards her house as we kicked off and began pedaling, looking for any signs that her father might try to stop us. I almost crashed into a fence if Riley didn't shout a warning in my ear.

   "Shit," I cursed as I swerved out of the way and righted myself. "Thanks, bud."

   "Please don't do that often," Riley muttered, gripping the fabric of my jacket. He glanced at Bianca, who was pedaling a bit ahead so I couldn't see her face. "She's pretty upset."

   "Makes sense," I quickened my pedaling so I was right next to her. "Hey." 

   "...Hi," Bianca sniffed.

   "You wanna talk?"

   "I..." Bianca slowed, and I followed suit. "He... he's not bad!"

   "Whoah there, who said anything about him being bad?" The two of us pulled up beside the Professor's lab.

   "Probably everyone who overheard him screaming..." she sniffled. "He's just... I'm his only daughter and... did I ever tell you about my mom's..."

   "I've heard about the miscarriages, if that's what you mean," I said awkwardly, rooting for something in my pack. "It... must have been tough."

   "I could have had three siblings," she mumbled quietly. "Two older and one younger... and you know I was still born early, an-and after what happened 8 years ago, he's just been so scared,"

   "B, Bia, it's okay," I said soothingly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You don't need to explain anything to me, and I'm sure the neighbors understand too." _In a small town like this anyways._

   "I guess..." she wiped at her eyes.

   "Come on," I gave her a gentle push towards the lab doors. "Professor Juniper is waiting, and even though she's pretty patient, Cheren is probably having a migraine by now." She gave a half hearted giggle and nodded. The doors slid open as we stepped forwards, and we were greeted by the smiling figure of the Professor.

   Professor Juniper was pretty young, in her early thirties in fact, and she had her light brown hair done in a complicated bun. She wore a white tank top underneath the typical pure white lab coat, along with a green skirt and sported black heels, which has _got_ to be some sort of safety hazard. The Professor's cyan eyes lit up as she smiled, waggling a finger at us.

   "Now now you two, just because you want to sneak off to make out or something doesn't mean you can be late," she teased. I rolled my eyes as Bianca flushed next to me.

   "Very funny, Prof," I said dryly. I tried to side step my way inside, but despite how skinny she was, the Professor managed to fill up the door, blocking my path. I couldn't help it as I glared at her and said, "You know I could just turn right around and leave."

   "First your late, and now you're impatient," the Professor sighed, stepping out of the way. "I could never read you, Low."

   "You and every teacher I've had," I said, trying to work some lightness into my tone. _Don't be an asshole, man._

   "If I remember correctly, I was your teacher once," she said, leading us to where Cheren was impatiently tapping his foot, arms crossed and an overdramatic scowl on his face. I knew he was just taking the piss, so it was easy to ignore. "Which reminds me, Cheren, Lowell, Bianca, I just want to do a short test before I let you three go."

   "Aww, do we have to?" Bianca groaned.

   "Technically not, but it would help ease my nerves if I made sure you knew what you were doing," she said, in a tone that said that she would have her Pangoro block our way if we refused. The three of us let out a sigh, before muttering our agreement. Juniper beamed and clapped her hands loudly. "Alright! First; Cheren, Bianca, Which Starter Pokemon Did you choose."

   "I chose Snivy," Bianca said, taking out said grass type's balls and sending him out.

   "And I got Oshowatt," Cheren said, doing the same.

   "Hmm, I will admit this is very different to what I expected you two to pick, however they're good choices all the same," the Professor mulled, looking at the two Pokemon. "Alright, question number two; I want all three of you to list your starter's weaknesses, resistances, and strengths, as well as their evolutions'. Starting with you, Bianca."

   "Oh! Um..." Bianca's face scrunched up in thought. "Snivy is a grass type, so he's weak to fire, ice, flying and bug. He resists water, other grass types, and um... Electric and ground?"

   "Are you asking that last part, or telling me, Ms. Love?" Juniper said.

   "Telling? Uh I mean, telling," Bianca muttered.

   "Alright good, go on," Juniper pressed.

   "Grass is strong against Water, Ground and Rock types," she continued with more confidence. "He doesn't gain a type until he becomes a Serperior, where he becomes part dragon, which is only strong against other dragons, and makes him weak to other dragons. He... loses his weakness to fire and bug gains a double weakness to ice, but becomes doubly resistant to grass, electric and water."

    Juniper nodded. "That is correct, however you forgot about the future weakness of Fairy types, though many of the Pokemon native to Unova don't have the typing like their counterparts from other regions, so I doubt that'll become an issue for you. Cheren?"

   "Oshowatt is a water type, weak to grass, as Bia said, and Electric types," Cheren said, pushing his glasses back and making them do that anime shine. Swear to God, how? "They resist Steel, other water types, fire and ice. They're strong against Fire, Rock, and ground, and when he evolves he becomes part fighting, making him weak to Flying, Psychic and fairy, and he becomes strong against bug, rock and dark."

   "Very good. Lowell, since your starter is also a fighting type, how about you just skip right to his evolution."

   "Riley evolves into a Lucario, which is part steel," I said, thinking back to when I had studied everything I could about him. "Steel is weak to Fighting, ground and fire, strong against rock and fairy, and resists Steel, rock, grass, and normal. He also loses his weakness to flying, fairy and Psychic."

   "Excellent," Juniper smiled. "Now, I'm sure I don't have to show you three how to catch a Pokemon, it's fairly simple after all. I do however, want to give you one of these," she walked over to one of her work tables, and presented us tiny little machines with a glass screen.

   "Digital storage devices!" Bianca exclaimed, rushing over to snatch one from the Professor's hands and, predictably, tripping on her dress. This time, it was Cheren who caught her. "Dang it... thanks, Cher."

   "You're so Groudamn clumsy," Cheren rolled his eyes.

   "During your journey, you're sure to run into some tough terrain that won't allow you to bring your bikes, as well as any other cumbersome item you might get on your travels," Juniper said, handing the little devices out to us. "These have been custom coded by me, so the chances of anyone being able to hack it and steal your stuff is nearly 0. I also reinforced them with steel, so it'll be pretty hard to break."

   I examined the square cube in my hands. It was pretty light, and small, so even if it's hard to get in to or break it'd probably be easy to lose. Besides my bike, I don't think I'll be storing anything too important in here.

   "This is so cool," Bianca said, fiddling with the device and scanning her backpack. The cube beeped, emitting a cone of red light, and the purse seemed to disintergrate into pixels before vanishing. "Thank you so much, Professor!"

   "I think I'll put this on my key chain," Cheren said, pulling out said key chain and clipping it on. "Thank you."

   "Er, yeah, thanks," I said lamely.

   "Well, I suppose I can't keep you three for much longer," Juniper sighed. "Remember to call when you can, stay safe, and good luck!"

   "Thanks again, Juniper!" Bianca was suddenly between Cheren and I, looping her arms with ours and pulling us towards the exit. "Come on guys, I want our first step on Route 1 to be together!"

   "But we've been on Route 1 before," I protested, only just managing to store my bike in the DSD because Bianca had paused to do the same. "Besides, I have to stop at home first."

   "First steps as trainers!" Bianca huffed. "And it's just one step, you can head back home right after. Come on, _please_."

   "Well, since you said please..." I said, trying not to smile as Bianca grinned and continued to tug as along.

   "Is this when you humans would make a whipping sound?" Riley asked, making me jump. I almost forgot he was on my shoulder, I've become so used to the weight.

   "So," Cheren drawled, not seeming to mind being dragged around by Bianca, "what do you think our first catches are gonna be?"

   "I'm hoping for a Lillipup, but I guess anything that's cute will do," Bianca said after a moment of thought.

   "Figures," Cheren chuckled. "I admittedly wouldn't mind a Sentret, they're not strong but they make good scouts. What about you, Low?"

   "Anything but Bidoof," I said immediately. "Fuck Bidoof."

   "No thanks, that's Pokephilia," Cheren said, then laughed as I made an attempt to reach over Bianca and slap him in the head with the arm that wasn't being held hostage, making Bianca yelp as I nearly fell onto her. "But seriously, Bidoof wouldn't be a bad Pokemon to have, it can learn a lot of HMs which would make moving around the region a lot easier, plus they're not _that_ bad a fighter."

   "I know but they're just... so derpy," I said, cringing. My friends laughed and continued to talk about how they hope their parties turn out. Cheren wanted a mixture between power and versatility, Bianca mostly just wanted Pokemon she thought were cute, ignoring Cheren as he pointed out there's more to Pokemon than just looks and it would in fact hurt her in the long run. I smiled as they talked, adding little to the conversation. Soon we came to the edge of town, and the start of Route 1. Bianca carefully edged us close to the border.

   "Okay... you two ready?" she asked, extending one foot.

   "Ready as I'll ever be," Cheren said, mimicking her.

   "I might just take my step now," I said, rotating and lowering and raising my foot in the air, a shit eating grin on my face. Bianca gave me a death glare, before turning back to the route and taking a deep breath.

   "Okay.. one, two, three!" She said, and at once we stepped, or more so stomped, our feet into Route 1. Bianca finally released us and squealed, hopping up and down. "Oh my Arceus, that was great!"

   "So it was good for you too, huh?" I said, receiving a slap from the blonde.

   "I swear you get worse every day!" Bianca huffed as Cheren snorted. "You too!" she turned her glare to our friend, who quickly looked away but didn't do much else to hide his smirk. " _Boys,"_   she rolled her eyes.

   "Don't you have to stop at home, Lowell?" Cheren chuckled, turning to me.

   "Yep," I said, rematerializing my bike. "Don't go too far without me, okay?"

   "See ya soon, Low," the two said at once as I hopped onto my bike, Riley perching himself into the basket.

   "See ya," I said before kicking off, pedaling back into town. I didn't get stopped as often this time as I rode through town, most of everyone either at work or school. I grinned, glad of the fact that I didn't have to go back to classes or start looking for a boring desk job. No, I was going on an _adventure_.

   I parked my bike right outside my porch, not bothering to store it as I opened the door to my house for what might be the last time, at least for awhile. I looked around, finding that the place was quiet, almost empty feeling.

   "Mom?" I called, looking into the living room, surprised to see that Darwin wasn't even lounging on the couch. "I'm home!"

   "I'm upstairs, sweetie!" My mom called back. "I'm still in your room." Figuring she was still cleaning, I trudged up the stairs to see if I could still help a little bit. As I walked down the hallway, I didn't hear the sound of cleaning, but maybe she just finished. I peaked into my room, it taking a moment for what I was seeing to register, then I froze. My mom was sitting on my sheet-less bed, legs crossed. Scattered over the bare mattress, was exactly ten notebooks, the eleventh being currently in her hands, and about fifty sheets of paper. Most of the notebooks were open, some of the pages being yellowed from age and filled by the hand writing of a small child, some with drawings ranging from child like, progressing to more detailed and professional. Especially the separate sheets of paper, which held the majority of the drawings. The drawings depicted a woman, of roughly 26 years of age, with white skin, blonde hair and hazel eyes, while the writings were of songs, stories, TV shows, family trees... I know this, even though I'm too far away to read the writing or the drawings. I know this because they're _mine_. They're the notes I've been writing since I was three, insuring I wouldn't forget who I was or my family or my favorite shows or just the world from my old life. Drawings of my older sister, so I wouldn't forget her face.

   And my _new mother_ , from a completely different world that what those papers depict, is _reading them._

   Riley nudged me, asking me if I was alright, clearly sensing my complete 180 change in mood, but it didn't really register. What did register was the feeling of the blood draining from my face as my mom looked up at me, my jaw dropping. _This is it,_ I thought, my eyes flicking to a piece of paper that was being crumpled by Darwin's sleeping form. _I'm going to the looney bin. I'm going to be locked up, there's no way they'd let me go on my journey when they think I'm crazy-_

   "S-sorry for snooping!" My mom yelped, and I looked up to see her.. with a sheepish smile? "I just... I was cleaning, and I looked under your bed to make sure no lamp shards got under there, and well..." she looked down at the notebook in her hand. "I had _no_ idea you had such an imagination, or talent for drawing, or story telling..." she giggled, and I blinked, regaining the feeling in my body that I hadn't noticed I lost. _Wait, what?_   "And this is such a beautiful woman," she continued, setting the notebook down to turn her attention to one of the more professionally drawn faces of my sister from another life. "I almost thought she was Bianca, but the nose and eyes aren't right... I don't recognize her, but it seems you've been drawing her for awhile-"

   "Just a character!" I blurted, making her look up. I felt a little sick inside, calling my sister, who had practically raised me in my old life, a fictional character. "One of my favorites... don't know why." Because she's my _sister_. Because she was _real._

"Well, she looks like a lovely character," my mom commented, flipping the drawing over. "Hmm.. Sabrina Graham? Age 26-"

   "Yup!" I interrupted. "Well I um... I'm glad you like them and uh..."

   "Oh, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you," she said, setting the paper down and climbing off my bed. "There's really no reason to be, it's a lovely talent..." she paused, her smile turning sad. "You know... if Pokemon training doesn't work out for you, I can see you making a career out of this, perhaps.."

   "Yeah, I'll think about it," I said, not meeting her eyes. "Always good to have a backup."

   "It is," she chuckled. "Though some of your writing seem almost like psychological horror to me. A world without Pokemon? I couldn't imagine something like that," she shivered.

   "Heh, yeah, I guess I have an interesting imagination," I chuckled weakly, rubbing the back of my head.

   "It's a good thing, it'll help you on your journey," she said, wrapping her arms around me in a hug. She was so much smaller than me, I realized, it was shocking. Still, I hugged her back. "I'll miss you so much, Low Low," she sniffled, and while I managed to keep myself from cringing at the pet name, I still gave the now snickering Darwin the finger. "You'll remember to call, won't you?"

   "Course I will," I said, hugging my mother tighter. Even my eyes were getting a little watery. She might not have been my first mom, but she was still my mom, and better than the one from my old life... but that's a whole other can of worms. I rubbed at my eyes as we separated, my mom giving me a tear stained smile.

   "I packed your clothes, and some more supplies for you," she motioned to my black backup that was leaning against my bed. "I know it's not a long walk to Accumula town, but you know you might get hungry before then, or get hit by a Sand Attack and get all dirty, or-"

   "Thank you," I said, giving her another quick hug before picking up my bag. "I'll call you when I get to Accumula."

   "You better," she sniffled with a smile, following me out of my room, down the stairs and to the front door. "You keep him safe, Riley," she said, kneeling besides the Riolu and petting his head.

   "I will," Riley saluted, making my mom giggle, even if she couldn't understand his words.

   "Don't let Darwin piss on my bed while I'm gone, okay mom?" I joked, shooting a glare at the Eevee who lazily walked up next to my mom. He grinned maliciously at me as my mom giggled more and promised to keep him out of my room. "I love you, mom," I said, giving her one last hug, this one lasting longer than the others. I walked to my bike after separating, Riley once again taking his place in his basket. I waved to my mom as I kicked off, she waved back with a tearful smile on her face, having picked up Darwin and was holding him in her arm. She didn't come back inside as I turned the corner, now out of her sight. My chest felt tight, and Riley was giving me a concerned look, but I just shook my head at him.

   It hurts, but at the same time, I knew it was only temporary. For now, a journey awaited me.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beh, this took way too long to get out. I originally planned on making it longer, but it was already taking so long that I couldn't keep waiting. Either way, we managed to get to an actual Pokemon battle, which I'm proud of. I didn't include Cheren's battle because it was more or less the same as Bianca's and that can get really repetitive. So Lowell and Cheren's first rival battle will actually be the second, when it's a lot more interesting. Here's hoping the next chapter comes out a lot sooner!

**Author's Note:**

> And there was that. Long first chapter, probably not that interesting, but I wanted to start this a bit different than most nuzlockes that start right when you get your Starter.  
> This took quite awhile to write, and is about 19 pages long. Not all chapters are going to be that long, and a few things here was rushed. I could have gone over how Riley and Low became friends, Lowell and his mom dealing with Lowell's father leaving, but it was getting too long and I couldn't find anywhere to put it. Still, I hope this managed to grab your interest. See you in the next chapter, where there nuzlocke actually starts.  
> Name: Riley. Species: Riolu  
> Nature/characteristic: Brave, very finicky. Ability: Steadfast


End file.
